Politics of Russia

By Jan Lopatka & Christoph Steitz

Unprecedented talks across the European Union on Tuesday showed it scrambling for solutions on the ground to break its dependence on Russian gas and help supply Ukraine.

Putin: Escalation takes Ukraine to brink of civil war

MOSCOW -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin have had a telephone conversation about the situation in Ukraine.

Kremlin threatens gas supplies to Southeast Europe

Several nations receive Russian gas via Ukraine. In other business news: Albania's credit rating sees improvement and Turkey's military spending surpasses Canada.

The EU says Russia should not politicise its contractual shipments of gas. [AFP]

German RWE has started delivering gas to Ukraine via Poland.

RWE uses the services of Polish gas-transit company Gaz System, which has reported it will provide to Ukraine around 4 M cubic meters of gas on Wednesday, April 16, according to RBC Daily.

Putin and Obama urge each other to "use their influence"

WASHINGTON, MOSCOW -- U.S. President Barack Obama appealed on Russian President Vladimir Putin to convince "pro-Russian groups" in eastern Ukraine to lay down their arms.

As announced by the White House, Obama last night held a telephone conversation with Putin.

Ukraine is suspending payments to Russia for gas deliveries until the conclusion of price talks, chief executive Andriy Kobolev said on Saturday.

The United States has condemned Russia's threat to cut off gas supplies to Ukraine.

In a statement made by the State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki, "Russia's efforts to use energy as a tool of coercion" are unacceptable, the BBC reports.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened to cut off gas supplies to Ukraine, if the country doesn't pay its debts.

In a letter to 18 world leaders, the Russian head of state warned that Ukraine's USD 2.2 B debt for delivered gas means that supplies could be stopped, something which would affect the European Union as well.

Russian and international intelligence services thwarted planned terror attacks during the Sochi Olympics, according to the Director of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB).

Ukraine will temporarily stop buying Russian gas until the price issue is settled, the country's Energy Minister Yuriy Prodan announced Wednesday.

Prodan said that Kiev was not satisfied with the sum it has to pay from April 1 this year, as ITAR-TASS agency quoted him as saying.